Green Party leader Eamon Ryan says he will not back his party colleague Councillor Hazel Chu in Seanad bid

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said he will not back his own party’s Dublin Lord Mayor Councillor Hazel Chu in her Seanad bid.

Independent.ie reported yesterday that the Dublin Lord Mayor and Green Party chair will be in the running for a seat on the Commercial and Industrial panel in the Seanad by-elections.

She will be running as an unofficial Green Party candidate, having failed to secure the backing of her party.

Minister and deputy Green Party leader Catherine Martin was one of the nine TDs and Senators to nominate Cllr Chu for the bid.

However, her party leader told Independent.ie today that not only will he not vote for Cllr Chu.

It was his suggestion that the party should not put anybody forward for the by-election and instead vote for the Government candidates, who are from Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

“We had a meeting of our executive committee the week before last and our parliamentary party executive committee decided that we would not select a candidate,” the Transport Minister said.

“I argued for and supported and made that case.

“I will be supporting Government candidates because I believe in this particular election it gives us the ability to strengthen our Programme for Government and the ability to deliver for the Programme for Government.”

He said he will speak to his party colleagues in coming parliamentary party meetings again about the Seanad race.

“I will have to talk to my colleagues again within subsequent parliamentary party meetings but that is the position I set out within my own parliamentary party meeting twice,” he added.

Having failed to gain her party’s backing in the running, Cllr Chu secured the necessary nine nominations herself from both Green Party and Independent TDs and Senators.

She received nominations from Green Party Minister Catherine Martin, Green TDs Neasa Hourigan, Patrick Costello and Francis Noel Duffy, Green Party junior minister Joe O’Brien, Green Party Senator Vincent P Martin, Independent TD Marian Harkin and Independent Senators Lynn Ruane and Eileen Flynn.

In a statement to Independent.ie, Ms Martin said she was “delighted” to nominate Cllr Chu.

She said Cllr Chu faced a “barrier” in getting her name on the ballot paper.

“I have spoken on countless occasions over the years about the barriers facing women’s participation in politics. The barrier that Hazel faced was that of getting her name on the ballot paper as she sought an opportunity to run in this election,” she said.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime this evening, Mr Martin said it was important for his party to support government candidates and “it wasn't any question of who, or any discrimination against any one person”.

When questioned on why he would not be voting for a Green Party candidate in the upcoming by-election, Mr Ryan said: “That is the normal practice in many instances.

“Previous Seanad by-elections, that is what we have always done, in government and outside. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both voted for Pippa Hackett in the last Seanad by-election which saw her elected. That’s a regular occurrence.”

Online Editors